Big Sisters, So Many Big Sisters

The voyage to the east was proceeding in an orderly fashion as the delegation disembarked, while Eunuch Huang led the leading figures and distinguished individuals of the voyage to the east to pay their respects to Kang De in turn.

Kang De stopped them from bowing down immediately, shook hands with each of them, chatted for a few words, and then led them to meet the Imperial Tutor, Hong San, and other descendants of the Cathay from Distant Harbor.

Judging from the Fire Thief's Vision and the Phoenix Eyes, these people who went abroad for research were all of very high level, with clear and bright eyes. They were all people with strong will and outstanding skills, and were all extraordinary individuals under the Cathay System.

They quickly understood Kang De's meaning, shook hands with him, smiled sincerely, and looked respectful, but occasionally a glint of insight would flash in their eyes, and their gazes would dart around quickly, revealing a very subtle scrutiny and probing.

All of this was clearly noticed by Kang De, who had accelerated time.

--Yes, he activated time acceleration.

When talking and interacting with unfamiliar or even distrustful people, he habitually activates time acceleration, so that if the other party were to launch a blatant assassination attempt, he would have several times the reaction time.

These people were secretly observing and scrutinizing him... It's only human nature. After all, they knew nothing about themselves, and they had abandoned their families and traveled eastward to this place entirely for Kang De.

What I need to do is get these guys...

Seeing is believing.

Kang De glanced sideways at the Imperial Tutor and Hong San, the master and disciple who were greeting the fellow countrymen from Cathay. Judging from their smiles and eyes, they were also very satisfied with the quality of this year's Cathay Expedition team.

It seems that Cathay has really carefully selected a lot of talented people to provide support...

He was slightly moved and chatted for a few minutes with a master craftsman who was so excited that he couldn't keep his mouth shut. He encouraged the other man to contribute to the scientific research and military industry in the Distant Harbor and said a few more words like "let's communicate more when we have time". He made the master craftsman, who was obviously over fifty years old, tear up and wish he could die for Duke of Qin immediately.

Undoubtedly, among the delegation members, those from the Ministry of Ministry of Works and the Talisman Artifact Institute treated Kang De with the utmost respect.

Yesterday's arrangement to have the island defense fleet of the Broken Isles join the Yilan-Tai'er navy to welcome the Cathay delegation clearly proved to be highly effective.

This allowed the anxious Cathay Expedition to witness firsthand the power of Kang De.

Those most shocked were undoubtedly the researchers and industrial workers. After all, different fields are like different worlds, and only they could truly understand the significance of steel behemoths, high-speed mechanical kites, and submarine forces.

Even without witnessing the actual combat capabilities of these war machines, the very fact that they were manufactured is a terrifying achievement.

Therefore, these knowledgeable people held Kang De in the highest esteem, filled with joy and anticipation.

As Kang De shook hands and talked, he considered the future arrangements and whereabouts of these people.

The craftsmen were naturally incorporated into the Truth Office, where they were trained and directed by Parrot, integrating the unique Eastern weapon-making techniques and talismanic arts into the Distant Harbor's technological system.

Warriors and talisman masters can form their own armies, and once their hearts are won over, they can be selected to form the Eastern Warband.

Physicians and scholars can be incorporated into the administrative departments. Anyway, with Dong Tianming keeping them in check, these outsiders won't be able to cause any trouble. As the organization gradually expands, there will be a shortage of grassroots officials.

And finally...

The ladies-in-waiting.

Thirty-six female officials personally selected by the Empress of Cathay.

Eunuch Huang's words were quite accommodating. "Since an official position has been conferred, one should be provided with ceremonial guards, attendants, official robes, utensils, a mansion, and a fief according to regulations. However, ocean shipping is inconvenient, and I know that Duke of Qin is not one for vanity. Rather than gifting him gold, silver, jewels, and fine clothes, it would be better to present him with elite troops, powerful generals, and magical artifacts."

"The Spirit Clan's warships have limited carrying capacity and are subject to many restrictions. We can only send more talented individuals and precious artifacts. The rest—gifts, wealth, mansions, and fiefs—will all be prepared in the Eastern Lands. Once the restrictions on transportation are eased, we will present them immediately."

"However, the dignity and national system of Duke of Qin cannot be completely abandoned. Your Majesty personally selected thirty-six talented and beautiful female officials to accompany the delegation. They are all skillful, gentle, and virtuous women. They can be taken into the residence to clean and serve, and to entertain and comfort the people. They can also be placed in the court to record documents and share the burden of paperwork..."

Finally, the old eunuch bowed deeply again. "The court and the public know that Duke of Qin is an invincible hero who regards beauty as dirt, but considering the national system and His Majesty's good intentions, please do not refuse. Thirty-six female officials are the minimum..."

Having said all that, what else could Kang De possibly say?

To be fair, the fact that the Empress of Cathay sent women over is a bit troublesome.

Human hearts are unpredictable and difficult to control. Moreover, they came from Cathay, so their origins and backgrounds are unknown. They are said to have been personally selected by the Empress, so their loyalty seems to be guaranteed. But who knows if there are any pawns or assassins from other court factions among them? That would be very troublesome.

However, given the Empress's generosity in bestowing official titles and gifts, it would be inappropriate to simply dismiss the thirty-six female officials she personally selected, displaying a complete lack of trust.

Seeing this, the more than 3,000 Cathay's Volunteer Army soldiers must have felt uneasy and their morale was shaken.

... Alright, let's do three rounds of background checks first. If you pass, you can be recruited to the manor as a maid.

The Kang De family still lives in the Sound of the Tide Manor, but as future urban planning and construction progress, this holiday villa, seized from the aristocracy of the Distant Harbor, is becoming increasingly insufficient... In terms of security, duties, and social interaction, Sound of the Tide Manor is gradually failing to meet these functional needs.

The relocation plan and the future residence have been finalized and are on the agenda.

However, before the official relocation, some more staff need to be recruited, otherwise, given the future scale of the manor, the current staff of the Sound of the Tide Manor will not be enough.

Previously, the maids and security personnel in the manor were young women from the Valentan Guards. In the past three months, some new members have joined the ranks—the court maids brought by Tina, the maids from the Leona family, two Faerie Dragons, and fifteen female assassins led by a female master assassin.

Now there will be over thirty more people with Asian faces.

"Inform Tuosidiwa later and have him select another thirty-six clever, capable, and loyal women from the Yilan-Tai'er tribe as female officials. Also, expedite the political vetting and training processes for the local female officials from the Broken Isles and Distant Harbor... Let's get them all done at once."

Kang De sighed inwardly as he thought about this.

After several months of farming, the Shogunate made great strides, but many problems also surfaced. After all, with its large and powerful empire, it needed him to balance and appease various factions.

The Shogunate is now composed of a very complex group, including Distant Harbor, the Broken Isles, Yilan-Tai'er, surrendered troops from the three kingdoms, Cathay, Valentan... As time has passed, these forces have grown stronger and have gradually formed their own groups and demands, the most direct manifestation of which is their strong interest in "Imperial Favor".

After all, they come from different countries and races. Their loyalty to Kang De and willingness to be ruled are purely based on Kang De's military power and interests. In their eyes, His Highness Kang De is Cathayan, naturally close to his motherland, and is separated from them by a layer. Therefore, they often lack a sense of security, are anxious about gains and losses, and are afraid of losing His Highness Kang De's "favor", which would lead to the depletion of resources, damage to their own interests, and rejection.

To appease these people, we need to understand what they care about.

The general public has a very simple and clear perspective on the issue—if they wanted to quantify "His Highness Kang De's favor," they would look at the proportion and rank of their own people serving as government officials, the proportion and combat strength of their own people in the army, and even more so at His Highness Kang De's attitude towards their own people.

The most direct manifestation of the latter is whether His Highness has any women of his own clan among his confidantes.

Therefore, among the various ethnic groups in the Distant Harbor, the Goth People and the Cathayan were the most arrogant and proud. The Goth were arrogant because of their local advantage, the love story of Princess Tina and Prince Kang De was known throughout the world, and they were also the hosts.

The Cathayan also have the inherent advantage of being from His Highness's maternal clan. Although they do not have a matriarch of Cathay, both Imperial Tutor Dong and Mayor Hong are important ministers of the Shogunate. Imperial Tutor Dong's disciples are all important officials in the Ministry of Plenty, holding great power in civil administration. Although their strength in the military is relatively weak, it should not be underestimated.

The Goth People were not a monolithic entity; they were divided into the Goth faction, the Distant Harbor faction, and the Valentan faction. As the trade war of the past few months had affected Goth, the relationship between the Shogunate and the Goth court became increasingly tense.

The Distant Harbor are naturally closely united under His Highness's command, even chanting slogans like "Distant Harbor is Distant Harbor for the people of Distant Harbor." While they are proud of their local identity, they also experience anxiety.

Because His Highness Kang De had slaughtered all the local nobles, and although the Distant Harbor in the military and political system were numerous and powerful, they were all concentrated in the middle and lower classes, neither high nor low. The only important financial minister Han Zezheng, had long since changed his allegiance back to his original position, which made him very angry.

The Valentan People weren't much better off.

Although the Valentan development plan has been on track since March, the Valentan People, as "meritorious retainers," occupy an important position in the Shogunate's military order. The Valentan Guards Army, as the "Emperor's personal army" and the most powerful mechanized corps, has always received the dual attention of Marshal Horus and Mayor Hong San. As the Ministry of the Army's training corps, it, like the Mengsk Artillery Brigade formed at the same time, has been given priority in equipping, testing, and utilizing all new equipment, and is responsible for teaching and training other army officers.

The Doom Chapter, already renowned throughout the continent and known to every household, was selected and promoted from the Valentan Guards Army, a fact that alone is a great honor.

--But the Valentan People also very anxious because these major legions were too independent and it was difficult for them to exert influence on the Shogunate and protect the interests of the Valentan. In the end, the Valentan People lacked a powerful figure with a voice in the Shogunate. Although Mr. Hong San was close to the Valentan, he was essentially a Cathayan. They were not entirely at ease with him. This problem would always be a worry for them if it was not resolved.

Compared to the Goth People's anxieties and uncertainties, the elves were much better off. The increasing number of eyewitness accounts of "His Highness and the Queen's secret rendezvous" made the pointy-eared elves even happier, because in doing so, their guilt of "betraying their homeland and joining Kang De" vanished.

If you ask them how they got through the past few months, the answer is obvious—the joy of earning military merits and accumulating power armor is simply unimaginable.

The Imperials viewed Leona as the leader of their faction, and they were more willing to West Goth Company. The military Imperial faction also received more care and preferential treatment from the West Goth Company, which further increased the White Hair's support and popularity.

This, in turn, made the people of the Imperial faction even more confident and loyal.

The Council faction regards General Nixiyasi as its key figure. This faction is currently in a state of great turmoil because the Shogunate and the Starry Sky Council are becoming increasingly tense. Within the faction, those who advocate avoidance and those who advocate "fuck the Starry Sky Council and fight the councilors" are arguing endlessly, each with their own reasons.

Besides these two factions, the Broken Isles and the Yilan-Tai'er faction are the most anxious, because they are in an awkward position, have not yet gained influence, lack a voice, and urgently need more security.

Although the Broken Isles held a significant advantage in the technocratic sphere, with a large research team becoming the Parrot's absolute loyalists, this advantage was short-lived and did not fully translate into factional benefits.

The importance of Yilan-Tai'er goes without saying, but the people are all fanatical believers, hoping to be loyal to the gods day and night and waiting for their summons at any time; their thinking is hard to understand.

Only the green-skinned guy is carefree. During work hours, he waaaaaaaghs in places like construction sites, mines, military camps, and technical factories. After work, he waaaaaaghs in places like the beating field, the Giant Garbage Happy Mountain, the Mournful Howling and Thunderous Sound Hall, the bumper car park, and the playground. He's having a blast all day long, and his mood is always full.

What most people don't know is that the advantages, disadvantages, and troubles of various factions are all the result of Kang De's deliberate design. The political talent of the China is engraved in their DNA. They maintain this balance naturally—not through boring imperial tactics, but to ensure the vitality of competition.

Because allowing one faction to dominate and "exclusively favor" others would weaken the cohesion of other factions and make people's hearts superficial, this is the only way to guide and utilize them. But thinking about this all the time annoyed Kang De.

However, he has to do it himself... Neither Hong San nor Tina would interfere with this kind of thing, and even if the task were pushed onto them, they would refuse without hesitation.

"... This is troublesome."

He sighed inwardly again. The Cathay delegation's eastward journey brought many elite soldiers, generals, and wise craftsmen, greatly increasing the strength of the Cathay faction and making up for its shortcomings in the military and scientific research fields. This was indeed a good thing, but it would also arouse the vigilance and anxiety of other factions... Damn it, so annoying.

The solution is simply to limit the influence of the Cathayan who sought to cross the sea to the east in the administrative field, confining it to the military and scientific research levels, and then instigate conflict between the Chinese immigrants who Cathay east and the immigrants within China.

Alternatively, let the Parrot assimilate all the artisans of Cathay, while he himself takes complete control of the Cathay army, making it like the Valentan legions—maintaining extremely high combat power but unable to exert influence on the Shogunate... In the end, dismantle the Eastward mission first.

Ugh, this is so troublesome.

Let's discuss it again with Old Dong and Hong San later.

However, the most urgent matter to be addressed now is the issue of the female officials of Cathay.

The arrival of thirty-six female officials from Cathay to work in the mansion sends a clear signal, and since their backgrounds are unknown, their loyalty cannot be fully guaranteed. The solution is simple: as mentioned before, expedite the recruitment of female officials from other factions.

This not only reassured the various factions but also served as a check and balance on the female officials of Cathay —officials from different backgrounds would monitor and compete with each other.

When women get together, they will inevitably start to compete and fight for various reasons, creating hundreds or even thousands of discussion groups, and they will never collude together.

It's settled then.

Kang De made up his mind and felt a little relieved. He had finally finished meeting the last "distinguished person" and only the lady-in-waiting remained. Just then, a beautiful figure flashed in his peripheral vision, and cheers and even whistles rang out from the shore. The Earthling turned around and stood there dumbfounded.

After Duke of Qin finished seeing the last person, the female officials who had been waiting for a long time finally emerged gracefully.

Two hours after leaving the shore, these carefully selected ladies-in-waiting returned to their rooms, where they began to bathe, change clothes, and groom themselves. They thoroughly cleansed their bodies, applied incense and powder, and took off their simple, durable ship clothes, donning magnificent palace gowns adorned with jade pendants, gold ornaments, and flowing gauze.

Now, they moved with light, graceful steps, as if walking on water, leaping nimbly over the deck, their clothes fluttering, landing gracefully, like butterflies flitting among flowers, or like treading on colorful clouds, walking across the dock, coming slowly and elegantly.

Cheers and shouts rose and fell on the shore, while most people stared in disbelief—the number of warriors and extraordinary individuals disembarking from the ships was of little concern to the majority of the citizens.

But seeing so many beautiful women, they suddenly weren't sleepy anymore.

Kang De stood on the dock, practically at the forefront. Those around him tactfully withdrew, leaving him alone to face the beautiful women, their smiles as lovely as flowers, as they gracefully approached.

The thirty-six female officials stood in a row of nine and a column of four, their hands tucked into their sleeves. They all wore white dresses, as white as snow, with embroidered flowers on their dresses, magnificent and beautiful. Their full breasts filled out their plain white bodices, and their tall and slender figures were exquisite and graceful. Looking at the neat and orderly formation, it was surprising that they were all about the same height and were virtually identical.

Their eyes were bright and clear, their faces as smooth as jade, and they smiled gently. They wore hairpins and hair ornaments, their black hair tied up like clouds, cascading down to their waists and hips. The bright jade beads on their earlobes swayed gently. With every glance, they exuded charm. Some were lively and agile, some were shy and reserved, some were poised and generous, and some were elegant and noble. Like plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, each had its own unique charm.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!

So many long, straight black hair! So many mature women! So many long legs! So many large breasts!

Kang De felt as if his good zone was being repeatedly bombarded by a storm of metal shots at a rate of 60,000 per minute. This wicked feudal imperial system was indeed an inevitable stage in the development of history!

--Cold stem! Cold stem!

As expected of Kang De! Even when witnessing a scene a thousand times more terrifying than the attack of the apostles, he still maintained his composure. Even though the Yellowstone volcano in his heart had begun to erupt, he still used his powerful mental strength to control every muscle in his face, maintaining the composure of not changing color even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him!

It is said that sexual desire is the driving force of human development—if we could Extraction the Element of "technological development" from sexual desire, then the Colossus of Distant Harbor could be developed right now!

I'm sorry, I admit it! I had a seizure today!

But wait a minute.

There's a problem.

Kang De, as he delved deeper into the cold stem, became increasingly colder, and then discovered the key point.

Why are they all tall, well-proportioned, busty, and elegant classically beautiful women?

To say that all women in Cathay are like this would be absurd, and to say that Cathay's hobbies and popular styles are so righteous would also be absurd. According to Kang De's observation, whether on Earth or in another world, whether in the present or in ancient times, the hobbies of the rich and powerful are surprisingly consistent.

I like Little Boy and little girls.

Damn it.

But if that's the case, then why are all the girls being sent over being older sisters...?

Kang De's thoughts raced, a look of suspicion crossed his eyes, and he turned to look.

In the distance, Dong Tianming held Eunuch Huang's hand, speaking sincerely with his eyes fixed on him.

I suspect this old man leaked crucial secrets about the Distant Harbor, but I have no proof...

And so, Kang De, with a saintly smile, slowly swept his peaceful yet appreciative gaze across every face he could see, until the stunningly beautiful, long-haired, black-haired women stepped forward.

The woman in the very center, with her gentle and elegant demeanor, moved gracefully, taking a few steps. Her snow-white face was lightly made up, her nose was high and straight, her eyebrows and eyes were naturally charming, and her earrings swayed with pearls. Her fairy-like figure was magnificent and graceful.

She bowed gracefully and said softly, "I am Wei Yunyuan, along with thirty-five female officials from Luan and Phoenix Terrace. We were ordered to cross the sea to the east to serve you, sir. We are of humble appearance, and we beg you not to reject us. We greet you, Duke of Qin."

The beautiful woman bowed slightly, her posture subtly tilted, the gold and jade pendant around her neck swaying gently, her bodice slightly open, revealing a deep cleavage that narrowed from the snow-capped peaks, causing the mountains to ripple slightly.

Behind her, thirty-five stunningly beautiful women bowed in unison, their voices like falling pearls, melodious and sweet.

"Greetings, Duke of Qin."

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Ah Wei ah...

Damn it, who can handle this?!

Since arriving in this other world, Kang De has seen countless beauties. Although these women from Cathay also possess stunning looks, in terms of pure appearance, they are not as exaggerated as Tina, let alone the terrifying charm brought about by the Phoenix King's combination of beauty, temperament, and power.

The key is the cluster effect!

And then there's their elegance—although he had seen several women of Cathay descent in the Distant Harbor, they had all been influenced by foreign culture and were not considered exceptionally beautiful, so it didn't bother him much. But now he saw thirty-six elegant and noble oriental beauties with flowing hair, exuding an antique charm and unparalleled grace.

He had never seen such a beautiful woman with such temperament and charm on the mainland, and she could never be found anywhere else on Earth.

Now, thirty-six women stood before him, each one meek and submissive, their eyes brimming with affection. Undoubtedly, they had been chosen by the Empress with a mission and responsibility, and undoubtedly, if Kang De were to beckon them, they would readily throw themselves into his arms and yield to his advances.

That's the power of authority.

Kang De took two slow breaths to calm his turbulent emotions.

What is power? What is the supreme power on this planet?

It is the power of life and death, the power to change the fate of subjects, the immense wealth, and the violence that incites war, causes slaughter and destruction.

To make the rarest beauties in the world become extensions of will and tools of politics, to make them abandon their own value and live for another person, to offer everything without hesitation, and even to make them themselves acknowledge the legitimacy of such commands... this is power.

Empress Cathay possesses this power, as do the Emperor of the Empire and Dairila.

And what about me?

Do I like power? Do I possess it?

Of course there are.

Moreover, before today, Kang De was proud of this because he was not a slave to power—the mirroring function of the White Mist World made him see money as a tool, and his material desires became extremely low. He wielded the power of Forbidden Spell and held the power of life and death, but he used it cautiously, restrained and introverted, unlike emperors who were suspicious and insecure.

He thought power meant nothing.

But now, gazing at these beautiful women, it seems as if a fierce Flame is surging within my calm soul, and a strange possessiveness is rising within me.

Nixiyasi said she found Kang De abnormal because he had no interest in money or wealth, nor was he enthusiastic about ruling or power. His purpose in gaining power and ruling the people was to increase his strength and fight against the Star Palace. He had no other desires. This kind of Kang De seemed very strange to her, and she thought he was abnormal.

Because humans are not gods.

Kang De was momentarily dazed; his own time flowed seven times faster, allowing him to look down upon the world and the submissive soul before him in the slow passage of time. He closed his eyes, breathed, and then opened them.

"Please rise."

His emotions surged and subsided, extinguishing the raging Flame of passion, temporarily calming them. Ultimately, he did not reach out to help the prostrate girl. Kang De remained silent for a moment, then softly said, "You are all women, blessed with the finest qualities of heaven and earth. You should be living peacefully and serenely in these tranquil times. Like these three thousand heroes who crossed the sea to Cathay east, you are also heroines of China. We do not know what the future holds, but I hope..."

Kang De paused, then smiled, "I hope that many years from now, we will still remember this time, without regret, sadness, or remorse."

The girls stood up in response, but glanced around furtively, each with a strange expression.

Before coming, they had made countless guesses and imagined countless scenarios, but they never expected that Duke of Qin would say such a thing. However, they were clever and knew that in this situation...

All you need to do is smile.

Eunuch Huang quietly stepped forward and whispered, "Duke of Qin, this..."

Kang De said, "We cannot go against His Majesty's good intentions."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ladies, please stay at the temporary camp for now. A female officer will come to explain things to you. You may have learned about the customs and culture of the mainland beforehand, but Distant Harbor is different from the rest of the world. Please get used to it for a while and learn about the new rules before you start working at my residence. I look forward to your arrival."

After Kang De finished speaking, he greeted everyone. The transfer of the Eastward Expeditionary Mission was underway. Kang De turned around and nodded to the senior retainers of the Shogunate.

Hong San apologized to a martial artist and stepped forward, whispering, "My lord, shall we begin the meeting now?"

"No," Kang De said calmly, looking straight ahead, "I'm going to the restroom."

Hong San glanced at his watch. "Five minutes later?"

Kang De glanced at him sideways. "One hour."